Trae Young was stuck in the NBA’s health and safety protocols when the Atlanta Hawks faced the Knicks on Christmas Day in the Madison Square Garden.
As a result, he made his return to MSG, where he exploded during the 2021 playoffs to lead the Hawks to a gentleman sweep (4-1) against the New York Knicks.
Young developed a villainous relationship with the NY Knicks fan base after he averaged 29 points and just under 10 assists in that first-round series, including a 36-point showing in the Game 5 clincher in New York.
So, he had another brilliant performance in his pocket for Tuesday’s matchup. He torched the Knicks for 45 points to end their slim hopes of making the play-in tournament.
Picking up right where he left off last spring, Young made seven 3-pointers, including one that tied the game at 105 with 2:54 to play. His plays spurted an 11-0 run for Atlanta make it 113-105 with 1:04 left.
“I think the swag and what we were able to do on the court tonight and the energy we had in the huddle, I knew it was just us versus everybody tonight,” Young said after the game, per NBA.com.
The 45 points is a career-high for Young at MSG, and it’s tied for the most by a Hawks player at MSG with Dominique Wilkins. Young has now gone for 45 or more points in three of his last five games. Atlanta went 3-2 in those last five contests.
The Hawks will need to show the same urgency for the rest of the season with 10 games remaining for the end of the regular season. Atlanta is 10th in the East, one loss back of the No. 9 Hornets and two losses back of the No. 8 Nets.
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